Press Releases

 

Washington, DC – In response to the recent decision to include Wisconsin in a Republican-led lawsuit against President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) sent the following letter to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen:

 

The Honorable J.B. Van Hollen

Attorney General, State of Wisconsin

Room 114 East, State Capitol

Madison, Wisconsin, 53707

 

Attorney General Van Hollen:

 

I write this letter to express my sincere disappointment in your decision to involve Wisconsin in a federal lawsuit against the President’s recent immigration actions. I believe that this lawsuit is not only likely to fail, but that it is politically motivated and a waste of resources that could be used for other far more pressing issues facing Wisconsin.  

 

As you may know, prominent legal scholars and attorneys have concluded that the President’s actions are well within his executive authority. For example, a recent letter written by a consortium of law professors from Yale, University of Chicago, Columbia, New York University, Duke, and Harvard, came to the conclusion that, “[these actions] are consistent with governing law and with the policies that Congress has expressed in the statutes that it has enacted.” In a separate letter on November 25, 2014, 135 law professors stated that “[the President’s actions] are within the legal authority of the executive branch of the government of the United States.” In addition, the Office of Legal Counsel within the Department of Justice issued a lengthy Memorandum Opinion to the President and the Secretary of Homeland Security articulating the extensive legal authority for the actions taken by the President.

 

While it is clear that the President’s actions are well within his authority, you have instead decided to involve the state of Wisconsin in a political and frivolous lawsuit against the President. A bipartisan group of Attorneys General from 18 other states sent a letter last Friday to congressional leadership urging Congress to come together and fix our broken immigration system, particularly in light of the temporary nature of President Obama’s actions. Rather than joining these efforts to break through dysfunction and gridlock in Congress, you have decided that the State of Wisconsin will side with those who seek political points at the expense of the progress that our country desperately needs.  

 

While attacking an estimated 5 million immigrant parents and children who pose no threat to this country may be expedient for the short-term political goals of your party, it does nothing to protect the people of Wisconsin. I urge you to consider the many benefits of President Obama’s immigration action. The President’s actions will protect public safety in Wisconsin by reinforcing community policing and cooperation among local law enforcement and immigrant communities and directing scarce federal enforcement resources against those few immigrants who pose a threat to the nation and the people of Wisconsin. Granting protection and work authorization to low priority immigrants will also contribute to our economy. According to one estimate, these actions will contribute billions of dollars in payroll taxes nationwide in the first year alone. It will also lead to $19 million in additional state and local tax revenues over 5 years. Undoing protections that will help to keep American families together is simply inhumane and against our nation’s core values. Rather than focusing on such frivolous and fiscally counterproductive actions, I urge your office to focus its attention on other more pressing matters currently facing the citizens of Wisconsin. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Gwen Moore

MEMBER OF CONGRESS